Outside near the heavily concealed entrance, the small group of X-men went up against Sinister's henchmen. Omega Red, Guantlet, and Sabretooth fought hard against Wolverine, Rogue, Beast, and Jean. Omega Red went straight for Wolverine, eager to finish his old score with him that stemmed from his conflict with Weapon X. Gauntlet opted to take on the nimble Beast with his powerful fists of fury. That left Sabretooth to deal with a very angry Jean Grey and Rogue. Needless to say, Sinister's men were overwhelmed and overpowered as they struggled to keep the X-men at bay.

"Give it up bub! Yer outnumbered this time! Now where's Sinister?!" bellowed Logan as he fought off Omega Red's metal tentacles with his adamantium claws.

"This has nothing to do with that psycho anymore! This is between you and me Wolverine!" responded the Russian mutant as he tried to pin down the ever tenacious Logan.

"Bullshit! I don't give damn about your beef with me! I only wanna rip you to shreds because you kidnapped Cyke and Gumbo!"

"Ha! You think I did that just for Sinister?" quipped Omega Red, "Believe me, I have much more ambitious reasons...Most of which center around getting my revenge on you!"

Logan let out an angry grunt as he fought on to avoid Omega Red's attacks. There seemed to be no reasoning with him as he kept trying to finish what started back with Hydra.

Over with Gauntlet and Beast, the fight was a bit more lopsided. Beast's ape-like agility and reflexes made it easy for him to avoid the blunt strength that his aggressor was using. And the more he missed, the more frustrated Gauntlet became.

"ERR! Hold still monkey man!" yelled Gauntlet as he missed another one of his attacks.

"I'm afraid that it'll take a little more than just simple-minded insults to keep us from finding our friends. Haven't you ever heard the term brains over bronze?" quipped Beast with a grin as Gauntlet grew increasingly frustrated.

"Playtime's over furball!" yelled Jean as she tightened her hold on him, "Now where's Scott and Remy?!"

"Like I'd tell you!" grunted Sabretooth still unafraid.

"Yer gonna tell is whether ya like it or not pal! One way or another!" said Rogue as she approached the suspended man and prepared to touch him with her bare hands.

"I don't think so!" yelled Sabretooth as he let out an angry roar and delivered a powerful kick that sent Rogue crashing in to Jean.

This act allowed him to break free of Jean's telekinetic hold as he now he prepared to make a single devastating run at the two temporarily downed women. But they were both quick to regain their composure as Rogue quickly returned to her feet and delivered a powerful sweep kick that caused Sabretooth to trip over and tumble on to the ground. But being the cat-like mutant that he was, he quickly returned to his feet and prepared another attack.

Then suddenly...The whole area was shaken by a mysterious rumble from the ground below. The vibrations were deep and the came in powerful pulses...Hinting that they were the result of massive explosions. The rumbling in the ground only got worse as sudden flames began to appear throughout the above-ground area of the lab and since the majority of the area was old and in a state of disrepair, the fires spread quickly and the smell of smoke soon permeated the air around them.

"Oh no...That can't be good," said Rogue a sudden feeling of dread came over her.

"Wait!" said Jean as she clutched her temples, "The shielding has been ruptured! I can sense Scott and Remy!"

"Are they okay?" asked Rogue eagerly.

"Yes...But we have to get them out of here! This whole place is about to go up in smoke!"

"Then we best get moving!" said Beast as he delivered a powerful jump kick that took Gauntlet out of the fight.

Using the remote control, Beast summoned the X-jet and soon the auto-pilot had it hovering directly over them. He, Jean, and Rogue quickly boarded it, but Logan was still tied up with Omega Red.

"Come on Wolverine! Let's go!" yelled Rogue as Beast and Jean quickly made their way to the cockpit.

"NO!" bellowed Omega Red, "We're not done yet! I will have my revenge!"

"Tough shit Omega Red...Better luck next time!" grunted Logan.

As Omega Red made one last desperate attempt to take down Wolverine, he was quickly left exposed by his foolish force and he was now left venerable for a fraction of a second. However, this was all the time that Logan needed to make his move. In one quick, final attack...Wolverine plunged his claws in to the metal apparatus that Omega Red used to control his tentacles. Immediately, electrical sparks began flying and the former Soviet super warrior keeled over on the ground in defeat.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"You lose bub..." said Logan as he withdrew his claws.

"Logan, come on!" yelled Jean from the jet as more heavy rumbles rocked the ground below.

Not wasting any more time, Logan made his way towards the jet and as soon as he boarded, the powerful plane ascended in to the air.

"Jean...I can't get a fix on their location! The fire seems to be interfering with the scanner!" said Hank as he took the plane in closer to the complex in hopes getting a better reading.

"Don't worry...I know where they are," said Jean as she felt Scott's presence within her head, "We have to hurry! Take the jet around to the other side of the cliff...We have to get them out of this place before the whole building collapses!"

"Right! Hang on everybody!" said Hank as turned the jet around and everybody held on for the tense ride.

As they saw more flames break out within the building, Jean clung hard to the psychic link that she shared with Scott. She could sense his panic as he and Remy remained in the burning structure. She urged him on, not wanting to let go of their link for even a second...Out of fear that she may lose it.

'Please be okay Scott...We're coming to save you...Just hang on. I need you to stay alive...Don't forget, we have a wedding to plan together...We have a life to plan together. Please hang on...'

************************************************

In the depths of the burning laboratory, Scott and Remy fought through the flame and smoke to work their way up the levels of the building towards some kind of exit that they could use to get out of this horrid place. The paths and corridors were a maze of smoke and fire as they pushed themselves further through the pain of fatigue and exhaustion. As Scott continued to run, he suddenly felt Jean's warm presence again in his head. He could hear her constant urgings for them to keep going...And he could feel her endless love giving him the power to get through this and come home to her.

'Don't worry Jean...I'm coming,' sent Scott through their link, knowing that she would somehow hear him.

"This way, hurry!" said Scott as he led Remy down another corridor and up a flight of stairs.

"Do you know where you're goin' homme?" asked Remy through the smoke, "This place is like a damn maze!"

"Trust me Remy...The X-jet is outside! Jean is feeding me directions through our link. And Rogue is with them!"

"Rogue?!"

"Yes! She's there! Now come on!" yelled Scott as they were forced to avoid another burst of flames.

Upon hearing that Rogue was on the plane, Remy felt a new surge of energy push him further, for he had been deeply worried about what had happened to her after the fight with Sinister. Now, he felt the deep need to see her again...To hold her again after everything that had happened. If it wasn't for her...He probably wouldn't have found the strength he needed to break free, and for that he knew now more than ever the feeling in his heart which he had once denied.

By now they had both reached the ground level of the complex and were no longer surrounded by the sterile, hospital-like setting that they had been stuck in since they were bought here. However, the ground floor exit was not accessible due to a collapsed roof and a wall of flame preventing anything from going any further.

"What do we do now?" asked Remy as he started coughing from the smoke.

"We have to keep going up...The fires are going to burn us alive if we try to break through!" said Scott as he struggled to see through the smoke with his tinted red vision.

Having only the psychic directions from Jean as their guide, Scott and Remy scrambled to avoid collapsing sections of the ceiling as the fire only grew worse. The intense heat was eating through anything and everything in its way and the old, dusty areas of the long inactive part of the complex only provided more fuel for the fire. As Scott and Remy made it up to the third floor, sudden explosions began to shake the area as the fires seem to hit old chemical barrels that had been stored in various rooms. More sections of ceiling began to collapse around them as they kept fighting their way up further towards an area where they hoped to make an escape. Both of their lungs burned from the smoke inhalation and were sweating profusely from the intense heat...But they went on, pushing themselves to the limit of endurance. More explosions erupted from rooms off to the side as fires continued to his flammable drums of chemicals that kept adding fuel to the flame.

These explosions didn't go unnoticed from the outside as the X-jet hovered close to the side of the cliff. Smoke could easily be seen and flames were starting to emerge. Warnings signs and alarms blared throughout the plane as Beast, Logan, Jean, and Rogue sat anxiously for Scott and Remy to emerge.

"This doesn't look good..." dreaded Beast as he looked at the readings on the computer, "I'm detecting numerous explosions from inside the building. The fire must have hit some explosive chemicals."

"Are Scott and Remy alright?" asked Rogue wearily as she watched more smoke start to pour out of the complex.

"Yes..." said Jean as she kept her hands on her temples, guiding Scott and Remy through the building, "But we have to hurry...We don't have much time before the entire structure crumbles!"

'Come on...Just a bit further...' sent Jean as more explosions were detected from the plane sensors.

'We're gonna make it Jean...I promise you...We're gonna make it,' replied Scott as he struggled to keep his mind focused through the smoke and flames.

Scott and Remy were now at what they hoped to be the last turn towards an opening that would lead them out of this horrible place. This time, Remy took the lead as Scott's vision problems were only made worse by the thick presence of smoke.

"We're almost there!" yelled Scott through the noise as he and Remy kept running, "Near the end of this hallway, we should be able to blast an opening through the cliff!"

"Sounds like a plan!" said Remy as he felt himself cough some more through the thick smoke.

They were so close to freedom...So close to getting out of this hell-hole that they were forced to stay in. There was a brief, yet noticeable clearing as the end of the hall was now in sight. The smoke wasn't as thick, but it was still there. The flames behind them kept surging forward, almost as if it were chasing them. The eagerness within them grew as they began the final dash towards freedom. But as they began to run, Scott saw something out ahead of them that immediately filled him with a great sense of dread. Right up ahead of them...A door with a small amount of smoke coming from it caught his attention. From the small opening crack below, a flickering light could be seen and it was quickly growing brighter. The ceiling above the door was also cracked as small flames could be seen even from a distance. Remy didn't seem to notice it as he ran near it and it was then when Scott felt a deep vibration that caused him to spring in to action.

"REMY! LOOK OUT!" yelled Scott as he lunged forth and shoved him past the door just as it exploded in a loud bang.

Remy felt the force of the blast as he was shoved out of harms way and narrowly avoided the large chunk of ceiling that had collapsed in wake of the explosion. However, Scott was caught right in the thick of it...Absorbing the full force of the blast with his body as he pushed Remy out of the way. Red hot wooden and metal shards tore into his body as he yelled out in pain. The ceiling had also collapsed on him and now he was trapped under a heavy layer of flaming metal and debris. He could feel blood begin to pour from his wounds as he groaned out in agony. The pile of rubble on top of him was too heavy and he was too weak to move it. The fires only got bigger as Remy watched in horror as his brother was trapped under heavy debris that was originally meant for him.

"SCOTT!" yelled Remy as he ran through the growing flames to Scott's aid.

Scott was still conscious, but he was now coughing up blood and the severity of his wounds was quite serious. Ignoring the hot flames around him, Remy began frantically digging through the rubble in an effort to get him out. As weak and tired as he was, the Cajun mutant refused to let his only living blood die here under a pile of debris. Every muscle in his body burned as he the flames grew hotter and started to burn and scorch his skin.

"Come on Scottie...Just hang on!" grunted Remy as he worked feverishly to remove the heavy pieces from the pile of rock that had buried Scott.

Scott tried to say something, but he could only cough as he grunted in agony from the shrapnel in his aching body. Another series of deep vibrations from within the structure were felt by both men as time ran short. With every last ounce of strength he could muster, Remy LeBeau grabbed the wounded Scott and pulled with all his might to get him out. The fires and the smoke kept on increasing in intensity as the Cajun gritted his teeth in desperation. And despite all the heavy debris and flames, Remy felt Scott's body budge from its trapped position underneath all that rubble and he managed to pull him out. Despite being bloody from the explosion, he was still alive and still conscious. Remy was near his limit, but that didn't stop him from pressing onward. He hitched Scott's arm round his neck and began limping his way towards the end of the hall. As they drew closer Scott began to moan something through the pain of his injuries.

"Remy...My eyes..."

Getting the message, Gambit quickly removed Scott's ruby-quartz glasses and in spite of overwhelming pain, he opened his eyes and let out a blast that shattered the stone barrier before them.

Outside, Scott's optic blast was seen by the others as the volume of smoke coming from the complex kept on growing.

"There they are!" yelled Rogue as she saw the blast.

"I see it! I'm taking her down!" said Beast as the plane began to descend slightly so that it was parallel to the opening.

"Oh no..." said Jean as she as horrible feeling surged through her mind.

"What is it Jeannie?" asked Logan as he saw the expression on her face.

"Scott's been hurt! We have to get them out of there! Quickly Hank, open the doors!"

Even though such an act was dangerous in a situation like this, Hank didn't argue and did hit the button that opened the door on the plane facing the opening. The smoke was thick and fowl as it billowed out into the air. But through the haze and heat of the environment within...Two figures emerged...It was Scott and Remy.

They both were covered in a black, film from the smoke and looked completely and utterly exhausted. Remy was struggling to keep Scott standing upright as his bloody wounds festered with pain. Both men squinted upon reaching the edge of the opening, for the late afternoon light was the first sunlight that they had seen in nearly a day. They were both coughing up smoke and they were both extremely tired from everything that they had endured. The noise from the fires and the engines of the plane echoed through the air as they reached the end of the line. Remy wasn't sure what to do now as the jet hovered closely towards the opening. More explosions were felt and the fires were beginning to catch up with them. But through this noise and exhaustion, Remy heard Scott speak in a groggy, hoarse voice.

"Remy...Jump..."

"What?!" exclaimed Remy, not sure if he had heard him right.

"Trust...Me..."

Remy "Gambit" LeBeau swallowed hard as he felt the flames getting ever closer to their position. Today, he had found his only living blood relative after so many long, arduous complications. Growing up, he was taught by his foster family that money and crime came first while family took a back seat. But his deceased foster mother once told him that no amount of money or greed could ever equate to the communal power between family...And it is how you choose to look at it that determines how much it can do for you. He and Scott had been enemies...Oblivious to their connections, but now Remy was making a choice. He may have grown up a thief...But he'd be damned if he was going to stay that way. Trusting his brother's words, Remy took a deep breath.

"Well, here goes..."

With what little strength he had left, Remy leapt through the air towards the hovering X-jet with the injured Scott still leaning against him for support. Just as they left the cliff edge, a massive blast erupted from the hallway they had come from which launched a wave of flame out the opening where they had been standing only seconds before. Remy thought that they weren't going to make it...Until suddenly, an invisible force grabbed them in mid air and guided them towards the door of the X-jet. Upon feeling this, Scott immediately knew the source...And through the pain, managed to send a warm feeling through his mind to that of his soul mate.

Back in the sublevels where Scott and Remy had been held for most of this horrible ordeal, the fires had consumed pretty much everything. The machinery and chemicals throughout the area had fed the fires and now the entire structure was falling apart. But in the lab that had been seen as the final step in project "Second Genesis," the man responsible for so much trouble was still alive. Nathanial Essex watched with unparalleled rage in his glowing red eyes as his life's work was burnt to a crisp.

"So much planning...So many years of struggle...Only to have it all burned down by my own creations..."

The super hot fires seemed to do little to harm him as the burns and bruises on his body seemed to cause little, if any, pain. Mr. Sinister walked through the fires without fear, using his superior healing and body control to hinder the efforts of the fires to consume him. The lab that he had worked so hard to build was now in ruin...But even as the structure around him started to collapse, he was undaunted and could only speak out with great anger as his dream of creating the next dominant species still hung fresh in his mind.

"This is not over...No...Not by a long shot! I will not be defeated! I will never give up in fulfilling my destiny! Nobody...Not Magneto...Not Xavier...Not even my own creations will stop me! I WILL SUCCEED! I WILL NEVER BE STOPPED!"

************************************************

As the X-jet sped away from the burning structure, both Scott and Remy collapsed from exhaustion. They had both fought with every ounce of strength to get out away from Sinister and his insane dream...And now their energy was almost completely drained. Upon setting a course for home, Jean quickly ran to Scott's side. Despite the pain and exhaustion, Scott managed to throw his arms around her and place a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Jean...My sweet Firebird...You found me..." said Scott weakly in a hoarse tone as he coughed up more blood.

"Of course I did Scott..." said Jean softly, not bothering to hold back her tears, "I had almost lost you before...I could never lose you again...Never."

Scott felt like passing out after everything that had happened. It all came so fast, but now it was over. His future wife gently stroked the side of his face, lulling away the stinging pain from his wounds. This deep affection didn't go unnoticed by Gambit, who couldn't help but smile...But there were still many things going through his mind. There were a lot of questions he had...A lot of uncertainties that still lingered. But all those were set aside as a new presence entered the back area.

"Remy?!"

The sound of that voice immediately set off a firestorm of emotion as Remy turned to face the girl that had saved him once before and stolen his heart.

"CherÃ¨..." he responded weakly, his words thick with emotion.

As he looked in to her teary eyes, a new sense of energy came over him as Rogue immediately threw her arms around his neck and crashed her lips upon his in a deep kiss.

"Your okay...You didn't leave me," said Rogue as she let out a series of gentle sobs.

"I'm sorry Rogue...I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you...I should've never put you through this..." replied Remy as he inhaled her sweet scent.

"You ain't got nothin' to be sorry about swamp rat...Just shut up and kiss me again."

Remy couldn't help but laugh as he willingly obliged to her request. Once again, he felt the gentle, warm sensation of her lips against his. After a lifetime of not being able to touch, every kiss was seemingly amplified ten fold for Rogue as she absorbed the feeling of having him back safe and sound. As they reluctantly parted, Remy's attention soon turned back towards Scott. Jean was gently looking over the extent of his injuries from the explosion and Scott had remained conscious even though it looked like he was willing to pass out any second. But before that happened...Remy had to know one thing....

"Why did you do that back there homme? You could've...Died...Tryin' to save me. Even after everythin' I put you and your friends through...Why?"

Scott weakly turned his head to face Remy as he struggled to stay conscious. The look in Remy's eyes was full of a million unanswered questions and conflicting feelings. It bore little resemblance to the Remy that had been recruited by Magneto over three years ago. Scott seemed to sense this...And answered with one simple reason.

"That's what brothers do for each other Remy...They look out for one another..."

Scott's voice was very weak, but despite that he managed to smile briefly as he finally began to accept that fact that this man was his biological brother. Remy couldn't help but smile back...For his answer seemed to explain more than he had meant to.

"Well, thanks...Brother."

Scott finally passed out after that, but Remy knew that he had heard his words. Jean gently stroked the side of his face as she used their powerful psychic link to null away his pain.

"Will he be all right?" asked Remy as he looked back towards Jean.

"Don't worry...He'll be fine," assured Jean as she placed one last kiss on her lover's temple.

Remy looked back at Scott's unconscious form and grinned...He really was lucky to have a girl like Jean. He had made a promise to him back in their prison cells with Sinister that he would make sure that he would break him out of that horrible place and get him back to his girl. Now he could safely say that he had kept that promise...And their wedding would not be stopped because of some mad scientist. It felt good to finally accomplish something noble for a change...It felt really good. He hugged Rogue closer to him, not wanting to go through the pain of leaving her again. She was quick to pick up on his exhaustion, and soon placed one last soft kiss on his cheek.

"Rest easy sugah..." said Rogue as she rested her head against his shoulder, "It's over now."

Remy let out a long sigh of relief...For the nightmare had truly ended. However, this didn't change the fact that he was still in exile from his home or that there was still a bounty placed on his head. He truly didn't know what he was going to do now...But he didn't want to have to say goodbye to Rogue again. His train of thought was soon interrupted, as the door to the cockpit opened up and Logan stepped out to see Rogue in the arms of the dirty, famished Cajun. Remy felt too weak to stand and Logan seemed to sense it. Wolverine was one of the main concerns of the Cajun whenever the issue of joining the institute came up...But from the look on Logan's face, it seemed somewhat different in a sense that he didn't appear to want to gut him with his claws.

"Well bub...What's yer allegiance? Ya know the Prof's offer is open to everybody...But its yer choice."

"Not unless ya give me a reason to Cajun. Rogue gave ya a chance and if she sees that yer not a bad guy...Then I guess ya at least deserve a chance."

Remy had not expected that. He mostly expected Logan to either throw him off the plane or use him as a pin cushion. But then he remembered something Rogue once told him...He remembered how she said that despite his gruff, somewhat scary, appearance...Logan did have a heart. From the looks of it, Rogue had been the major influence in this sudden shift in judgment based on the longing look she had in her eyes that made even the Wolverine a bit more understanding.

"But remember bub..." added Logan with a more stern tone of voice, "If you slip up and hurt her...Or anybody else for that matter...You'll have to answer to me..."

Remy couldn't help but grin upon hearing that, for that was definitely the Wolverine he knew. The Cajun mutant looked back over at his unconscious brother whom he had found today and actually connected with. Then his gaze shifted back towards Rogue...The girl who he owed his life to. The subtle longing in her eyes and beautiful smile that seemed to mend all the years of self-hatred made his decision clear.

"Sounds fair to me homme...I think I'll take ya'll up on that offer. Just give dis ol' swamp rat a chance and I promise that ya won't regret it."

Logan may not have had a good history with Gambit, but in looking at him in his impoverished state...He could sense a genuine sincerity in his words. He still felt somewhat apprehensive about him, but that was just in his nature. Seeing Rogue leaning in so close to him and giving him subtle looks of affection made it clear that he probably had other reasons for making this choice. He always had a special place in his heart for Rogue and over the years he had protected her as she grew. Now she was an adult...And like Remy, she had made a choice as well...

"In that case...Welcome to the X-men Gumbo," said Logan as he extended his hand.

And despite all of his exhaustion, Remy LeBeau managed to return the gesture...Signaling a new beginning for both himself...And Rogue.

************************************************

AN: Well folks, Gambit is now an X-men! It's a shame he never got to that point in the cartoon, but in this story he finally joined. I always felt kind of disappointed that X-men Evolution didn't go in to another season. They never told the story of the Phoenix or indicated that Remy would join like he did in the old cartoon...Which is a real drag. But that helped provide the inspiration for this story. There's only one chapter left to go! I hope all you Romy fans and Jott fans have enjoyed this fic! I know the whole brother issue between Scott and Remy is still somewhat awkward...But I thought it would be interesting to write about. So what do you think? How have you liked this story? Please send me your thoughts via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I'd love to know what you all think of this story! There's only one chapter left so don't delay! Thank you all so much for reading my story up to this point! I really appreciate it and I wish you all the best!